HIV in Canada: A primer for service providers

Indigenous people

Key Points

There were an estimated 1,400,685 Indigenous people in Canada in 2011.

Indigenous people were 2.7 times more likely to get HIV than people of other ethnicities in Canada in 2014.

Indigenous people accounted for an estimated 11% of new HIV infections in 2014.

HIV incidence may have decreased slightly in Indigenous people since 2011.

Injection drug use is an important risk factor for HIV transmission among Indigenous people.

Indigenous people accounted for an estimated 9% of all Canadians living with HIV in 2014.

Five percent of Indigenous people are HIV positive (based on a pilot A-Track site in Regina).

There were an estimated 1,400,685 Indigenous people in Canada in 2011. This accounts for 4.3% of the Canadian population.

Indigenous people in Canada are 2.7 times more likely to get HIV than people of other ethnicities in Canada. According to national 2014 estimates, there were 18.2 new HIV infections for every 100,000 Indigenous people in Canada. This compares to only 6.7 new HIV infections for every 100,000 people of other ethnicities in Canada.

An estimated 278 new infections occurred in Indigenous people in 2014 (11% of new HIV infections). HIV incidence may have decreased slightly in Indigenous populations since 2011, when an estimated 349 new HIV infections occurred.

Injection drug use is an important risk factor for HIV transmission within the Indigenous community. In 2014, an estimated 45% of new HIV infections among Indigenous people were attributed to injection drug use; an estimated 40% were attributed to heterosexual contact; an estimated 10% were attributed to sex between men; and an estimated 4% were attributed to sex between men or injection drug use (in men who reported engaging in both behaviours). We can tell from these numbers that the epidemic among Indigenous people in Canada is very different than among non-Indigenous people.

An estimated 6,850 Indigenous people were living with HIV at the end of 2014, accounting for 9% of HIV infections in Canada (prevalence). IndigenousIndigenousIndigenousIndigenousIndigenous

Caution should be used, however, when drawing conclusions from the numbers reported for Indigenous peoples. An adequate description of the HIV epidemic among Indigenous people in Canada requires accurate and complete access to ethnicity data. Ethnicity data are not available for all provinces and territories. As a result, only data from certain

provinces and territories (all but Ontario and Quebec) are used when examining HIV diagnoses data on Indigenous people.

A-Track collects dried blood spot samples to test for HIV (2012). Five percent of Indigenous people enrolled in the study tested positive for HIV. Interestingly, only 56% of participants, who tested positive for HIV, were aware of their status. It should be noted that this A-Track data is from only one pilot site in Regina and may not represent all Indigenous people in Canada.

According to A-Track, among those who self-reported they were HIV positive, 87% reported being under the care of a doctor for their HIV and 67% reported ever taking prescribed drugs for their HIV.

In Canada, Indigenous populations are very diverse, with communities that reflect variations in historical backgrounds, language and cultural traditions. These communities are disproportionately affected by many social, economic and cultural factors (determinants of health) that increase their vulnerability to HIV infection.

Please note that some content on this website contains language, information and images related to sexuality and drug use, and may not be intended for people of all ages. CATIE ensures that these resources, developed to help prevent the transmission of HIV, hepatitis C and other infections, are written and reviewed by health experts for content accuracy.